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It did not escape the notice of Tim Cole, the collections manager for the Greensboro Public Library in North Carolina, that “Fifty Shades of Grey” was “of mixed literary merit,” as he put it with a heavy helping of Southern politeness.

He ordered 21 copies anyway.

His customers had spoken, Mr. Cole said, and like other library officials across the country, he had gotten the message: Readers wanted the “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy. In recent weeks they have besieged libraries with requests for the books, signaling a new wave of popularity for these erotic novels, which have become the best-selling titles in the nation this spring.

In some cases demand has been so great that it has forced exasperated library officials to dust off their policies — if they have them — on erotica.

In April the trilogy, which includes the titles “Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed,” was issued in paperback by Vintage Books, part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, sending sales through the roof when the publisher printed and distributed the books widely for the first time.

That enthusiasm has carried over to libraries. At many, “Fifty Shades of Grey,” by the previously unknown British author E. L. James, is the most popular book in circulation, with more holds than anyone can remember on a single title (2,121 and counting last Friday at the Hennepin County Public Library, which includes Minneapolis, up from 942 on April 9).

But despite misgivings about the subject matter — the books tell the tale of a dominant-submissive affair between a manipulative millionaire and a naïve younger woman — library officials feel that they need to make it available.

“This is the ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ of 2012,” Mr. Cole said. “Demand is a big issue with us, because we want to be able to provide popular best-selling material to our patrons.”

But some libraries have been caught on the other side of the issue. The Brevard County Public Library in east central Florida pulled copies of the books from its shelves after library officials decided they were not appropriate for the public.

“We have criteria that we use, and in this case we view this as pornographic material,” said Don Walker, a spokesman for the Brevard County government.

In Fond du Lac, Wis., the library did not order any copies, saying the books did not meet the standards of the community. In Georgia the Gwinnett County Public Library, near Atlanta, declined to make the books available in its 15 branches, saying that the trilogy’s graphic writing violated its no-erotica policy.

Last week a group of organizations that included the National Coalition Against Censorship formally responded, sending a letter to the library board in Brevard County scolding it for refusing to stock the book alongside standards like “Tropic of Cancer” or “Fear of Flying.”

“There is no rational basis to provide access to erotic novels like these, and at the same time exclude contemporary fiction with similar content,” the letter said. “The very act of rejecting erotica as a category suitable for public libraries sends an unmistakable message of condemnation that is moralistic in tone, and totally inappropriate in a public institution dedicated to serving the needs and interests of all members of the community.”

Joan Bertin, the executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship, said in an interview that it was unusual for a library to remove a book from its section for adults.

“The vast majority of cases that we deal with have to do with removing books to keep kids from seeing them,” she said. “That’s what makes this so egregious. There are some possible arguments for trying to keep kids away from certain kinds of content, but in the case of adults, other than the restrictions on obscenity and child pornography, there’s simply no excuse. This is really very much against the norms in the profession.”...

Swingers, like polyester leisure suits, seemed to have their heyday in the '70s. But couples who openly swap partners for a night of passionate sex with strangers, are becoming a growing trend in a sort of new sexual relationship revolution -- and those who swing say the rest of us monogamists are missing out.

"Nightline" went inside the top secret world of swingers -- as guests, not participants -- to a highly provocative masquerade party at a hotel in New York City hosted by a group called Behind Closed Doors.

Forget the notion that swingers parties are full of middle-aged folks who are bored stiff by years of marriage. Behind Closed Doors selects its members based on attractiveness and age. The younger the better, and not everyone makes the cut.

The couples said they don't find anything wrong with monogamy, but they were looking for something more exciting and raw.

"Our best sex is with each other," said Sara of Eatontown, N.J., who was at the party with her boyfriend Michael. "We have pretty amazing sex at home when we're alone. When we come here it's a physical attraction, not an emotional attraction."

Michael, a 28-year-old construction worker, and Sara, 24, who works in a doctor's office, have been in a committed relationship for more than a year but they do "full swaps," complete with intercourse, but they refuse to kiss strangers.

"Sex is more of a primal, more of an urge-based," Michael said. "The kissing is more intimate so we like to keep that for us."

National surveys suggest as many as 60 percent of marriages involve cheating. One study conducted by the University of Washington Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors showed that in the last two decades, the number of unfaithful wives under the age of 30 increased by 20 percent and number of unfaithful husbands under 30 increased by 45 percent.

Yet every swinger "Nightline" spoke with said they have a cure for that. They said their relationships are more spicy, more honest and more secure because they swap partners.

"People that are of a certain degree of attractiveness are probably looking to interact and swap partners with other people that are a certain degree of attractiveness so they are a good-looking person," said Nicole Cray, a self-described swing school instructor for Behind Closed Doors. "If you're not a good-looking person, it's probably not the right party for you."...

Over at Babeland, a New York sex shop, the best-selling trilogy “Fifty Shades of Grey” has shifted from erotic fiction to how-to guide. On a recent Friday, a hundred or so women, four men, and one Chihuahua crowded into the SoHo store for a class inspired by the books. “I found out about the books because people kept coming into the store and asking about specific products—floggers, restraints, paddles,” said Claire Cavanah, Babeland’s co-founder.

The series, which is light on plot, centers on the lives of Christian Grey, a young businessman, and Anastasia Steele, an innocent college student, as they enter a dominant-submissive relationship. (The conflict comes when “Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own identity.”) Cavanah says that she’s seen a twenty-per-cent increase in sales of B.D.S.M. gear since the books’ début. The only analogous moment she can recall during her twenty years at Babeland was when the characters on “Sex and the City” discussed a rabbit vibrator: “There was a run on the store!”

The “Fifty Shades” guests, as they waited for the class to start, tooled around the displays while sipping cocktails (cranberry juice and vodka) and avoiding eye contact. On display were such items as a “pinwheel” the size of a cooking thermometer (twenty dollars, no explanation), sienna patent-leather handcuffs with a matching paddle, and various chains that recalled a rappelling device. “My kids would love these,” one woman from New Jersey said, picking up a bag of phallic-shaped sour-patch candies. “What is this?” A woman wearing black loafers and a blazer asked her friend. They both tapped inquisitively at a gray cannister with a pink, rubbery filling, their lips curled. “Now that’s gross,” the friend concluded.

E. L. James, the author of the “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy, is a mother and television executive in her forties. The series started as “Twilight” fan fiction; James has said that she modelled her two main characters after Bella and Edward. Yet, even though her characters are college-aged, the books have resonated most strongly with James’s contemporaries—mothers, wives, “The View” enthusiasts—women who, if they owned riding crops, would store them in the garage between the skis and mountain bikes. The promise of erotic reading may be the initial draw, but, for many readers, there’s the added fantasy of E. L. James herself—the working mother and fan-fiction writer turned overnight success. ...

Part 1

KATC

It's a book that's topped the New York Times best sellers list for more than a month. "Fifty Shades of Grey" is a romance novel with a twist. The book is filled with racy themes that are getting some women to open up about their sex lives and to become more adventurous in the bedroom.

Erotic, sexy, and mysterious. "Fifty Shades of Grey is a love story, touching on themes of "BDSM"---that's bondage, domination, sadism, and masochism.

"We all enjoy sex. It's a lot of fun," said area regional manager of the Lion's Den, Jeannie Smith.

For some readers, it's a "permission slip" to spice things up in the bedroom, and open doors to a taboo topic.

At the "Lion's Den," an adult store in Acadiana, manager Jeannie Smith says the "Fifty Shades of Grey Effect" is two-fold.

"We can't keep them stocked right now. The publisher sold so many they had to make more copies so this is a problem for all stores across the United States," said Smith.

But reading the book isn't enough for everyone. Smith says some have come in wanting to mimic what they're reading.

"More women are open when they come in after reading the book they have a little bit more confidence to come in and shop," said Smith.

Some of the popular items at the store, blind folds, handcuffs, and whips. "Fifty Shades of Grey" is not the first erotic book to peak women's sexual interest. ...

When Joy Behar, a host of "The View," asked President Barack Obama, "What's the controversial sex book that's on millions of womens' bedside tables?" Obama responded, "I don't know that." I was immediately reminded of President Bill Clinton's statement, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

Behar is referring of course to the now infamous, X-rated book, "Fifty Shades of Grey," by E.L. James. When people ask me if I've read it, I say, "I don't know that book and I have never read it."

Described by some as pornography, the book has revealed much about the reading interests of the American consumer since it topped the New York Times best-seller list. The story chronicles Anastasia Steele's first intimate relationship in graphic detail with her first boyfriend, Christian Grey. He demands submission from her in a bondage, discipline, sadomasochist relationship (BDSM). The entire book revolves around Steele's emotional conflict regarding Grey's BDSM demands.

The story steps into an improbable fantasy land with a window into the odd world of BDSM. Like the preposterous names of the characters in daytime drama television shows (my personal favorite is Reginald Love from the show "Another World") the main characters cheesy names, "Anastasia Steele" and "Christian Grey" suggest romance can be expected before the third chapter. ...

Avid readers won’t find any copies of a New York Times Bestseller on the shelves of a local library any time soon.

The Gaston-Lincoln Regional Library said it did not order any copies of “Fifty Shades of Grey” because of the book’s erotic content.

The book is the first in a series set in Seattle that traces the relationship between a college graduate and a young businessman. It has garnered national attention because it contains erotic scenes featuring elements of the BDSM lifestyle.

The second and third books in the series are titled “Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed” respectively.

Mecklenburg County libraries do offer the book, but there is a waiting list. All of the library system’s copies have been checked out and there is a request list 800 names deep waiting to check out the book.

NCSF will be in Detroit this coming Saturday 19 May!
We’ll be hosting a community leadership meeting from 2pm-4pm and an open
community roundtable meeting from 4pm-6pm. The community meetings are
sponsored by NCSF and no RSVP is needed.
The host location is the VFW post at 1125 Fort Street in Lincoln Park, MI.
The VFW hall has a steak dinner available for $10/person from 6pm-730pm.
Deviations will be hosting a party at the same location beginning at 8pm.
Deviations will be doing fundraising for NCSF during the event. You must
contact Deviations to RSVP to the party or the dinner.
We will be sharing information and strategy options for dealing with the media
and related press as the Detroit community struggles with the unwanted
media attention the Bashara incident has brought. As the incident and resulting
media attention isn’t likely to go away and it is likely to generate
cyclical media attention as the case moves forward, it’s important that the
Detroit community and its leaders know what to say to the press and what
not to say, along with talking points and how to reach NCSF’s media line for
help.
We’ll also be discussing security and privacy concerns for both groups and
individuals including how to deal with law enforcement and what to do about
the proverbial 'dangerous insiders.' In addition, we'll cover tips for
protecting your personal privacy and security along with what your rights
may/may not be in dealing with police or the media.
If you’re the leader of a group, please consider attending the leadership
session or send someone representing your group. Please pass this message
around to as many groups, munches and other Detroit area lists as you can and
let people know about the open community meeting along with the party
beginning at 8pm. If you have any questions, please contact Leigha Fleming at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or 443.280.0457.
thank you-
Leigha Fleming
NCSF Board Chair

Maraglino also appears in photos with Louis Ray Perez, 45, one of the other suspects. Perez is a Camp Pendleton Marine staff sergeant.

He and fellow suspect Jessica Lynn Lopez, 27, pleaded not guilty to the murder last month.

Law enforcement discovered her at a hotel in San Diego after a failed suicide attempt. Her vehicle in the parking lot has a sticker depicting a woman on all fours wearing a collar and leash, according to 10 News.

Maraglino maintains a page on several websites catering to people interested in an alternative sexual lifestyle, according to CBS8.

She wrote in her bio on one website that she is "an alpha slave to master Ivan. We have a poly home in which I own two slave girls. Life is good." Perez also maintains pages on several sites, and calls himself "Master Ivan."

Maraglino owns the yellow stucco house in Fallbrook both Perez and Lopez list as their homes, though it is now in foreclosure. She bought the house in December 2009, but Bank of America filed a default notice two weeks ago, saying Maraglino owes $12,862, according to the Times.

Maraglino, who goes by the username "twisted2plusyou," appears with Perez in photos on the websites, and writes in her bio that she is the "care giver of the household and manages it according to (Perez's) wishes."

On the same site, she writes the couple was looking for another woman "slave" to add to their relationship. ...